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John F. Schmutz

“A thoroughly researched account of a legendary Confederate infantry regiment that will be of deep interest to the legion of Civil War buffs. ” —Richard M. McMurry, author of Two Great Rebel Armies

The Fifth Texas Infantry—“The Bloody Fifth”—was one of only three Texas regiments to fight with Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Much like the army in which it served, the Fifth Texas established a stellar combat record. The regiment took part in thirty-eight engagements, including nearly every significant battle in the Eastern Theater, as well as the Chickamauga, Chattanooga, and Knoxville campaigns in the Western Theater. Based upon years of archival research—complete with photos and original maps—John F. Schmutz’s “The Bloody Fifth” is the first full-length study to document this fabled regimental command.

“The Bloody Fifth” presents the regiment’s rich history from the secession of the Lone Star State and the organization of ten independent east and central Texas companies, through four years of arduous marching and fighting. The Fifth Texas’s battlefield exploits are legendary, from its inaugural fighting on the Virginia peninsula in early 1862 through Appomattox. But it was at Second Manassas where the regiment earned its enduring nickname by attacking and crushing the Fifth New York Zouaves.

Schmutz’s book, which also details the personal lives of these Texas soldiers as they struggled to survive the war some 2,000 miles from home, is a significant contribution to the growing literature of the Civil War.

“The most comprehensive, thoroughly researched account of the [Fifth] Texas Infantry … belongs in the library of every serious student of the Civil War. ” —John Michael Priest, author of “Stand to It and Give Them Hell”

Savas Beatie

The 5th Texas Infantry Regiment, Hood's Texas Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia

"The Bloody Fifth" Vol. 1: Secession to the Suffolk Campaign

Second in the sweeping history of the Fifth Texas Infantry that fought with Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia in the Civil War.

In the first volume, Secession to the Suffolk Campaign, John F. Schmutz followed the regiment from its inception through the successful foraging campaign in southeastern Virginia in April 1863. Gettysburg to Appomattox continues the regiment’s rich history from its march north into Pennsylvania and the battle of Gettysburg, its transfer west to Georgia and participation in the bloody battle of Chickamauga, operations in East Tennessee, and the regiments return to Virginia for the overland battles (Wilderness to Cold Harbor), Petersburg campaign, and the march to Appomattox Court House. The narrative ends by following many of the regiment’s soldiers on their long journey home.

Schmutz’s definitive study is based upon years of archival and battlefield research that uncovered hundreds of primary sources, many never before used. The result is a lively account of not only the regiments marches and battles but a personal look into the lives of these Texans as they struggled to survive a vicious war more than 1,000 miles from home.

“The Bloody Fifth”: The 5th Texas Infantry Regiment, Hood’s Texas Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia, with photos, original maps, explanatory footnotes, and important and useful appendices, is a significant contribution to the history of Texas and the American Civil War.

“A scholarly work enhanced with maps and exhaustive notes, yet thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds. ” —Midwest Book Review

The 5th Texas Infantry Regiment, Hood's Texas Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia

The 5th Texas Infantry Regiment, Hood's Texas Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia

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